Housing
For people who long to live in community with others, with the potential to share spaces, resources, chores, and / or meals. There are as many models for this as there are types of families! Check out the “Resources” section of the site to learn more.
Relevant Work
Plant-Based Buildings
For those interested in a cozy building that draws in more carbon than it emits. Many of these projects are collaborations with Croft, a carbon-sequestering straw panel manufacturer based in Maine.
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We’re best-suited to work on contemporary, environmentally-responsible, spatially-efficient buildings within a four hour drive of Boston.
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We’re best-suited to work on contemporary, environmentally-responsible, spatially-efficient buildings within a four hour drive of Boston.
Relevant Work
Celebratory Spaces
We design spaces to punctuate life’s special, social moments. We’re a good fit if you’re looking for an experienced team who will:
- Utilize every inch of space, while preserving a clear design vision
- Take the pragmatic issues as seriously as the aesthetic ones
- Help prioritize your budget to maximize impact
Relevant Work
Bringing straw to Boston’s
affordable housing
From the 1880s to the 1930s the “triple decker” - three stacked flats, typically owned by one of the families living there - provided a pathway to affordable home-ownership for Boston’s recent immigrants. Unfortunately, 100 years later, the economics have changed. At this point, the City needs a denser housing model that productively builds on that legacy.
As part of the “Future Decker” competition, the City will donate land to the winning team for development into 80–100% area median income (AMI) affordable home-ownership units.
Our 8-unit proposal reimagines the triple decker’s perfunctory stair as a hub that economically fosters community. The stair abuts a south-facing “all-season” room for shared meals, resident gatherings, and plants.
As part of the “Future Decker” competition, the City will donate land to the winning team for development into 80–100% area median income (AMI) affordable home-ownership units.
Our 8-unit proposal reimagines the triple decker’s perfunctory stair as a hub that economically fosters community. The stair abuts a south-facing “all-season” room for shared meals, resident gatherings, and plants.
Ground Floor Plan
From left to right:
- Covered Parking
- Studio Unit
- Bike Storage
- Lobby
- All-Season Sunroom / Patio
- Three-Bed Unit
- Communal Planter
The neighborhood’s home to many colorful, clapboard buildings, so we embraced that. Generally, we never want our projects to be ostentatious; we want them to integrate and reveal themselves over time.
The project is a mix of conventional clapboard & vertical siding; a cost effective, subtle way to add texture
The stair abuts a two-story sunroom; part community-builder, part antidote to Boston’s loooooong winters
Third Floor Plan
The central stair looks in to—or in this case, on to—a communal, greenhouse-like sunroom. The units’ living spaces are at the corners to capitalize on natural light & cross ventilation.
The central stair looks in to—or in this case, on to—a communal, greenhouse-like sunroom. The units’ living spaces are at the corners to capitalize on natural light & cross ventilation.
The stair links 3 three-bed units in the front to 3 studios and 2 two-beds in the back
Sponsor
City of BostonTimeline
2024Status
CompetitionLocation
Dorchester, MassachusettsServices
ArchitectureInterior Design
Credits
African Community Economic Development Corporation (ACEDONE),Community Outreach & Homeowner Engagement Consultant
Chess Engineering,
Civil Engineering
Croft,
Prefab Consultant & Straw Panel Provider
JGE Architecture + Design,
Design Advisor
LB Development Partners,
Development Consultant
Passive to Positive,
Sustainability Consultant
Pristine Engineers,
MEP-FP Engineering
RSE Associates,
Structural Engineer
Star Contracting Co,
Construction Management
Related Work
The first straw-insulated multifamily housing project in Maine
This project—30-units of affordable housing in Portland, Maine—is an exercise in navigating constraints. While all projects are beholden to code, zoning, and their context, this project is also subject to Historic Review and stringent dimensional standards related to affordable subsidies.
Within that context, we’re also asking bigger questions like:
1. While working on this project, we learned of Renting Partnerships. An organization in Cincinnati, Ohio who’s developed a model in which long-term renters build wealth by taking part in the upkeep of their community.
Within that context, we’re also asking bigger questions like:
- Which design decisions increase cost-savings and livability?
- Can an affordable building sequester more CO2 than it emits?
- Can renters build equity? 1
1. While working on this project, we learned of Renting Partnerships. An organization in Cincinnati, Ohio who’s developed a model in which long-term renters build wealth by taking part in the upkeep of their community.
Ground Floor Plan
Typical Upper Floor Plan
Alternating bands of pine clapboard break down the building’s scale. The lighter tone at the corners help dematerialize the volume
The windows stack vertically and (the majority) are rectangular, in reference to the neighboring buildings
Client
LB Atlantic, LLCTimeline
2023-Status
In DesignLocation
Portland, MaineServices
ArchitectureInterior Design
Credits
Acorn Engineering, IncCivil Engineering
Base Design Group, Inc
Structural Engineering
BLW Engineers, Inc
MEP-FP Engineering
Croft,
Collaborator & Straw Panel Provider
Pieszak Lighting Design,
Lighting Design
Related Work
Pick a coconut from your bedroom window!
A new model of housing for multi-generational families and intentional communities
Green House brings a new model of communal living to Boston, one that is equally relevant to two distinct audiences:
multi-generational families that want to cohabitate & people looking for the affordability and companionship of co-living.
What would typically be three separate homes share a communal ground floor that contains: dining, living, laundry and, either a “grandmother flat” or a home business. Each unit can be accessed from the first floor by a private stair that leads to their bedrooms.
The housing is paired with a public greenhouse-promenade that creates a mid-block shortcut, extending the community beyond the dwelling. This greenhouse allows the residents to grow a significant amount of food or flowers, and could be used to provide garden plots for neighbors as well. In Boston’s cold climate it provides a taste of the tropics year-round.
What would typically be three separate homes share a communal ground floor that contains: dining, living, laundry and, either a “grandmother flat” or a home business. Each unit can be accessed from the first floor by a private stair that leads to their bedrooms.
The housing is paired with a public greenhouse-promenade that creates a mid-block shortcut, extending the community beyond the dwelling. This greenhouse allows the residents to grow a significant amount of food or flowers, and could be used to provide garden plots for neighbors as well. In Boston’s cold climate it provides a taste of the tropics year-round.
One-Third Greenhouse + Two-Thirds House, as viewed from the East side
A site diagram showing the arrangement of the greenhouse & the house
This reconfiguration allows families to eat together and have a greater variety of social interactions, while saving on kitchen costs
The site is two back to back lots that create a mid-block pass through. The dimensions, 170’ long by 14’ wide at it’s narrowest, resist traditional development models
Year round tropics within the greenhouse arcade, which can be opened in the warm months
First Floor Plan, Living Room Zoom
The building is constructed of cross
laminated timber (CLT), a low-carbon mass timber structural system that has the warmth & beauty of wood
The upper floors house the majority of the bedrooms and bathrooms.
The shower is separated from the toilet and sink to help mitigate the morning / evening rush. The three separate volumes & the location of the closets creates additional privacy
A third of the ground floor is given over to an in-law unit or a small business (or a hybrid of both, as shown here)
The greenhouse arcade creates a mid-block cut through with year round tropical plants. It:
- Creates a privacy buffer for the residents
- Makes use of a long, narrow site, &
- Generates revenue for the residents through rentable garden plots
A long section cut through the greenhouse-promenade
The height of the greenhouse alternates from one to three stories, in step with the housing. This creates opportunities for trees & hanging plants, while establishing a human-scale
Each bedroom has one window into the greenhouse, and one to fresh air. Window sizes & heights reference the context
A short section cut through the roof deck, bedrooms, living room, and three-story green house.
A short section cut through the communal kitchen showing the windows of the bedrooms beyond
Client
Competition
Timeline
2018Status
CompleteLocation
Boston, MassachusettsServices
ArchitectureLandscape Architecture
Interior Design
Furniture Selection
Related Work
A compact salon with serious storage
Within less than 580 square feet, our client charged us with fitting: a reception & waiting space, product display, a refrigerator, five stylist’s setups, four hair processors, two shampoo stations, a color bar, a lash treatment space, a space for customer selfies, an accessible bathroom, laundry, a mop sink, a utility room, and as much storage as possible. After running through a series of iterations where every inch mattered, we arrived at the solution you see here. One where: every feature serves multiple functions, accessibility clearances are met, storage is accounted for, and their brand is broadcasted to the world.
The pink tone indicates storage
The 15-foot central wood display & storage fixture is a warm counterpoint to the glass & steel of the surrounding neighborhood
The custom mirrors mimic the geometry of the shelves. The seam at 8’ above the floor minimizes waste, keeps cost down, and is above the sight-line
At the rear corners of the space, the paint transitions from eggshell to satin. This gives the rear wall visual interest and makes those locations—where the stylists work with dye—easier to clean
We found a standard anti-fatigue mat product and designed the floor paint at the stations to give it a custom vibe
We specified a 3” diameter wood dowel to give the fixture visual heft, and because it was readily available from product suppliers
The shelf spacing is designed to accommodate the tallest hair product we could find, plus three inches, so that it will serve the client for the long term
The sconces at the stations softly light each patron, while a pair of adjustable track lights overhead provides the even lighting required for the stylist’s to do their job
The central fixture serves many functions. One of the less obvious, but critical, ones is that it helps screen views across the space to create a more intimate experience between stylist and client
All of the benches have hinged tops and interior storage
Timeline
2022-2023Status
BuiltLocation
74 Pier 4 BlvdBoston, MA 02210
Services
ArchitectureInterior Design
Furniture Selection
Programming
Credits
WS Development,Client
Hair Seaport,
Retailer
BLW Engineers,
MEP-FP Engineer
Pieszak Lighting Design,
Lighting Designer
Russco General Contractors,
General Contractor
George Gray,
Photography
Related Work
A carbon smart house in rural Maine made of straw
Our client—a young couple with plans for children—wanted a modestly-sized, high-performance, modern house.
They purchased a forested plot with distant ocean views, and reached out to us with a vision for a multi-volume house inspired by—Croft founder, frequent collaborator, and good friend—Andrew Frederick’s nearby home.
Our aim was to internalize the lessons of Andrew’s house and, if we could, build upon them for a family with different needs and site constraints.
The design is composed of two gabled volumes set perpendicularly to each other: one houses the primary bed & bath, and one houses the main living spaces on the first floor & the children’s bedrooms above. They are stitched together by a mudroom, which provides a transitional space and simplifies construction.
They purchased a forested plot with distant ocean views, and reached out to us with a vision for a multi-volume house inspired by—Croft founder, frequent collaborator, and good friend—Andrew Frederick’s nearby home.
Our aim was to internalize the lessons of Andrew’s house and, if we could, build upon them for a family with different needs and site constraints.
The design is composed of two gabled volumes set perpendicularly to each other: one houses the primary bed & bath, and one houses the main living spaces on the first floor & the children’s bedrooms above. They are stitched together by a mudroom, which provides a transitional space and simplifies construction.
The L-shaped house is entered at the outer elbow; the junction between the volumes
The entry porch takes advantage of the morning sun
Floor Plans
First floor; from top left to bottom right:
- Primary bed & bath
- Mudroom / entry
- Family & guest bath
- Under-stair laundry & utility
- Pantry
- Kitchen
- Living Space
The upstairs houses two additional bedrooms and a storage loft above the primary bath
The house form creates a protected courtyard, which faces the distant ocean views
The kitchen & living space is connected to the inner courtyard through generous windows & a large door
A window at the sink increases counterspace, brings in light, and is a killer spot for bird-watching
The ceiling height - driven by the upstairs bedrooms - makes the modest living room feel spacious
The hall (left) creates a distinction between the social and private spaces of the house while doubling as an excellent art gallery
A window / door pair on the inner courtyard side of the primary bedroom makes it feel like you’re sleeping outside
A view from the storage loft to the primary bed
The entry hall to the primary bed provides the homeowner with an additional layer of privacy
The cedar decking changes orientation as it wraps around the elbow. We get excited about simple moves that feel special without adding cost
Although the house only has a few openings, they are often located across from one another - like the kitchen, shown here - to give the space an airy feel
Locating windows at the corners simplifies prefab panelization and encourages light to bounce as it enters the home
Client
PrivateTimeline
2023-Status
Under ConstructionLocation
Rockland, MaineRelated Work
An architecture museum that uses itself to teach people about architecture
An
architecture museum is one of the few buildings that has to
house and display other buildings. From the full-scale prototype to
the microfiche archive, the scalar range of the collection is
immense. This project harnesses the extreme dimensional difference of
the objects in its collection to propose a building with radical
shifts in section. As the ceiling height shrinks from 35’-0” to
11’-0” across five floors, the structural systems shifts to
accommodate larger spans, more columns, etc. With these changes comes
the opportunity to recall five canonical plan organizations: the free
plan, the ring (with atrium), the hypostyle hall, the forest, and the
villa. As the visitor ascends—either through the glass elevator or
the spiral stair—they experience pronounced material, structural and
spatial shifts, sampling a history of Architecture on their way.
Level 1 - Infrastructural Clear Span
Level 2 - Castellated Atrium
Level 3 - Waffle Hypostyle
Level 4 - Column Forest
Level 5 - Mass Timber Renaissance
Roof Top
Client
Competition
Timeline
2020Status
CompleteLocation
Boston, MassachusettsServices
ArchitectureInterior Design
Exhibition Design
Award
2020 Rotch Prize, Runner-UpRelated Work
A test bed for house ideas
Model Homes is an ongoing project to test hunches and dreams. It’s a love letter to houses and the process of designing them.
Many of these tests start with a geometric motif or a spatial diagram, and all of them adhere to a grid of some sort. (The grids are practical from a constructibility perspective,
but they’re also a shoutout to some of our favorite artists: Agnes Martin, Sol Lewitt, etc.)
When working on them we jump between plan, section, and model. We often work on several at a time, and we’ve found the multiplicity of options within a house and across houses simultaneously to be freeing. Its helped us to shed preciousness and embrace the aspects of architecture we love: embedding the concept into the core of the architecture (structure, organization, light) and imagining new modes of living.
Many of these tests start with a geometric motif or a spatial diagram, and all of them adhere to a grid of some sort. (The grids are practical from a constructibility perspective,
but they’re also a shoutout to some of our favorite artists: Agnes Martin, Sol Lewitt, etc.)
When working on them we jump between plan, section, and model. We often work on several at a time, and we’ve found the multiplicity of options within a house and across houses simultaneously to be freeing. Its helped us to shed preciousness and embrace the aspects of architecture we love: embedding the concept into the core of the architecture (structure, organization, light) and imagining new modes of living.
Pill House ︎︎︎
We love when the simplicity of a gable meets a plan curve. The placement of the core zones the house into living & sleeping. It’s everything you need in less than 650 square feet! #LivingOnACurve
Triangle House ︎︎︎
This house packs a lot into its tiny footprint. Nestle into one of the nooks around the perimeter of the kitchen or sneak off to one of the
private spaces beyond. #PrismForLiving
Grid House ︎︎︎
What happens when you combine cohousing & grids? This house can be used as two
standalone homes that share a wall, or as one large, luxurious space for cohabitation. Borrow sugar through the “window” in the kitchen. Dine like Thanksgiving any night of
the year. Get that good, good laundry smell every day. Sneak off to your own private
living space, or throw a rager in the dining / living area. #NotForSquares
Telescoping House ︎︎︎
Gables on gables on gables, each one housing a different type of space.
A house for four+ friends who want to cohabitate and co-locate their
businesses. The beds & baths are bracketed by a large living area and a
divisible business-from-home space. Launch your plant shop. Run your
accounting firm. Curate your vintage shop. The possibilities are endless! #BusinessInTheFront
Tube House ︎︎︎
We always say that the only thing better than skylights is tall skylights.
Designed for the needs of a multi-generational family, this house is made
up of a series of alternating living & sleeping spaces. Whether it’s the den,
patio, reading nook, home office, TV room, or eat-in kitchen, each person can choose the space that suits their mood. #LetTheLightShineIn
Pier House ︎︎︎
Formed from six “service” piers, this two-family co-house uses half-levels to create
privacy between the living and private zones. The central living / kitchen / laundry
area is the social hub. Moving out from there are each family’s bedrooms and private spaces (shown here as a nursery and a home office). #MeetMeInTheMiddle
Zig Zag House ︎︎︎
In this house for four+ friends, we wanted to test what would happen if we
combined two of our favorite things: a sawtooth plan and a gable section. The result
is a large central living / kitchen / laundry area, bracketed by private living areas that can be contiguous or not, based on user preference. The bedrooms bookend the building and have access to a shared patio through their private entries. #DiamondsAreForever
Client
Self-Initiated
Timeline
2021
Status
OngoingRelated Work
The roof of the lower portion projects to create a sheltered entry and screened-in porch.
A carbon smart house in rural Maine made of straw
It’s a good fit when a client says any of the following:
In this case, the client said it all on our first call. We told them it felt like, “Dream Client Bingo.”
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“We want something really sustainable.”
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“We don’t want a house that’s too large.”
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“We want it to sit gently on the land.”
- “We like modern but cozy.”
In this case, the client said it all on our first call. We told them it felt like, “Dream Client Bingo.”
Surrounded by wood at the entry to the house & screened-in porch.
The family of simple gable forms helps break down the scale of the house and anchor it to the sloped site
Ground Floor Plan
From left:
- Screened-In Porch
- Deck
- Living Room: With dining, kitchen, and large sliding doors to patio
- Pantry
- Stair to second floor
- Laundry & Utility Room
- Bathroom
- Guest Bedrooms
The bookcase provides storage for chopped logs as well as: a place to put the TV, additional seating, and a spot for books
The Southeast corner of the house provides expansive views of the pond.
From left: entry, stair to mezzanine, hall to the guest bedrooms, kitchen & pantry.
The house is perched among the trees
Second Floor Plan
From left:
- Stair to first floor
- Mezzanine: With banquette seat, storage, & sitting area
- Primary Bathroom
- Primary Bedroom: With walk-in closet and private deck
The second floor overlooks the first, but we designed a screened railing, a seating nook, and a storage wall to give it its own character.
The primary bedroom has its own deck with views to the pond
We’re fairly confident there isn’t anything better than a morning coffee with pond views on the terrace outside your bedroom.
Client
PrivateTimeline
2022-Status
Under ConstructionLocation
Warren, MaineServices
ArchitectureInterior Design
Credits
Kyle Barker, Jacqueline Traudt,Primary Projects Team
Croft,
Collaborator & Straw Panel Provider
Related Work
A modular home designed to be built in a controlled environment and assembled on site; a workaround for a remote site without a nearby labor force.
The platform frame is primarily about speeding up construction and maximizing interior square footage. Although these are typically marshalled as economic arguments, they are often trotted out as sustainability arguments. We’re using less! We’re being economical!
What these arguments omit is the extraction processes and intense energy use demanded by their manufacture and/or erection. Aluminum and foam, the worst offenders, epitomize this twentieth century mentality about buildings: build them light, fast, and hollow and clad them in something like vinyl that can weather temperature swings and time.
Rather than thinking about wall & floor assemblies as individual components, responsible for singular functions (studs for structure, building wrap for moisture mitigation, insulation for R-value) lets thicken and sculpt our walls so that their inherent geometry buttresses them, their materiality resists moisture, their thickness combats rapid heat transfer, their surface provides a home for piped service runs, and their form affects us!
What these arguments omit is the extraction processes and intense energy use demanded by their manufacture and/or erection. Aluminum and foam, the worst offenders, epitomize this twentieth century mentality about buildings: build them light, fast, and hollow and clad them in something like vinyl that can weather temperature swings and time.
Rather than thinking about wall & floor assemblies as individual components, responsible for singular functions (studs for structure, building wrap for moisture mitigation, insulation for R-value) lets thicken and sculpt our walls so that their inherent geometry buttresses them, their materiality resists moisture, their thickness combats rapid heat transfer, their surface provides a home for piped service runs, and their form affects us!
View of Living Room
The Challenge
The client, a couple looking for a quiet retreat on a heavily forested site, heard “no,” a lot. They’d been told by a half-dozen contractors that there was no labor force in the area due to historical shortages and recent wildfires.The Solution
We designed a small home made of 48 concrete modules that could be factory built and brought to site to assemble.
Junction of Four Modules
View from West
West Elevation
Entry at North
North Elevation
View from Bed
View from Bedroom to Entry
Section, looking South
Roof Modules
View of Kitchen
View from Kitchen to Living Room
Junction of Six Modules
Panning view of the Living Room
Client
Competition
Timeline
2017 Status
CompleteLocation
Santa Rosa, CaliforniaServices
ArchitectureInterior Design
Furniture Selection
Award
2017 Rotch Prize, Finalist
The view from one roof deck to another
A radical, factory-built take on the Accessory Dwelling Unit
For the last few decades planners have championed “mixed use” as the best-practice development model for cities. Why hasn’t this thinking permeated the “single family” scale?
Current residential models can’t accommodate a mix of uses because they don’t provide a way to create privacy between the zones of the unit. The organization of most urban homes limits the ability to create a clear distinction between living space and space for a home business or a communal amenity.
This project leverages the very thing that is often seen as a liability for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)—their size—to create a mixed-use dwelling that can be aggregated and hybridized with its neighbors.
It uses the width of the triple decker, but re-imagines its organization. Rather than a matrix of interconnected programs, each program is given an entire, optimized floor plate. This module consists of a program, a stair, and a plumbing chase. The stair links the programs vertically, and allows each to function independently of the others.
Often, conversations about affordability focus on austerity. This project seeks to re-frame that discussion. Kitchens are consolidated into a shared program to save money, but also to build community. Residents decide if their living rooms are private to them, open to their neighbors, or home to something altogether different!
Current residential models can’t accommodate a mix of uses because they don’t provide a way to create privacy between the zones of the unit. The organization of most urban homes limits the ability to create a clear distinction between living space and space for a home business or a communal amenity.
This project leverages the very thing that is often seen as a liability for Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)—their size—to create a mixed-use dwelling that can be aggregated and hybridized with its neighbors.
It uses the width of the triple decker, but re-imagines its organization. Rather than a matrix of interconnected programs, each program is given an entire, optimized floor plate. This module consists of a program, a stair, and a plumbing chase. The stair links the programs vertically, and allows each to function independently of the others.
Often, conversations about affordability focus on austerity. This project seeks to re-frame that discussion. Kitchens are consolidated into a shared program to save money, but also to build community. Residents decide if their living rooms are private to them, open to their neighbors, or home to something altogether different!
View at Southern Entry
An isometric view of the development:
together & pulled apart.
together & pulled apart.
The colors indicate the different uses:
Blue—Apartments
Green—Roof Decks
Light Pink—Collective Kitchen
Dark Pink—Collective Living Room
Purple—Collective Flex Space
Blue—Apartments
Green—Roof Decks
Light Pink—Collective Kitchen
Dark Pink—Collective Living Room
Purple—Collective Flex Space
The view from the East
Ground Floor Plan
View at Northern Entry
Second Floor Plan
View across the second floor terraces
Third Floor Plan
View from Roof Deck
Roof Plan
A long section cut showing,
left to right:
left to right:
Ground floor—kitchen, living room, flex space
Second floor—outdoor terraces with bedroom beyond, bedroom
Third floor—bedrooms with terrace beyond
Roof—roof decks
Second floor—outdoor terraces with bedroom beyond, bedroom
Third floor—bedrooms with terrace beyond
Roof—roof decks
A short section cut through, from top to bottom: a roof deck, bedrooms, the collective kitchen, & the stair
Client
Competition
Timeline
2020Status
CompleteLocation
Boston, MassachusettsServices
ArchitectureInterior Design
Landscape Architecture
Award
2020 Rotch Prize FinalistRelated Work